US5496076AExpiredUtility

Fast tube connector structure

Priority: Aug 30, 1994Filed: Aug 30, 1994Granted: Mar 5, 1996
Est. expiryAug 30, 2014(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Yo-Chia Lin
F16L 19/086Y10S285/91F16L 37/091F16L 19/12
78
PatentIndex Score
80
Cited by
8
References
2
Claims

Abstract

A fast tube connector structure including a tube connector, a rubber fastening washer, a guiding sleeve, a conic spring washer and a sleeve-like nut, wherein a tube is inserted through the nut into a space defined by the spring washer, guiding sleeve and fastening washer and located on a tube seat of the tube connector. The nut is then secured onto the tube connector, forcing the spring washer to move downward and causing a narrow end thereof to move downward along an inclined guiding flange. The claw portion is thus compresses by the guiding flange to tightly clamp and fasten the tube and firmly fictionally associate the tube with the tube connector. The claw portion also exerts a downward pushing force on the guiding sleeve, urging the guiding sleeve to compress and deform the fastening washer located on a washer seat of the tube connector and surrounded by the guiding sleeve so that an outer sealing rim of the fastening washer tightly abuts the washer seat of the tube connector and an inner sealing rim is tightly plugged into an adjoining clearance between the tube and the washer seat so as to enhance the engagement between the tube and the tube connector to achieve a reliable leakproof effect.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tube connector comprising: a tube connector including an outer threaded portion, an inner annular stepped tube seat, and an inner annular stepped washer seat;   a rubber fastening washer having a first and second end with said first end that is placed on said washer seat of said tube connector;   a guiding sleeve means placed on said fastening washer, said guiding sleeve means including an inwardly tapered guiding flange for securely receiving said second end of said fastening washer;   a conic spring washer that abuts said guiding sleeve means, said conic spring washer including a plurality of fissures in a narrow end thereof, said narrow end being received in said guiding flange of said guiding sleeve means; and   a nut including an inner threaded portion, said nut being screwed onto said outer threaded portion of said tube connector, said nut further including a receiving means to receive and seat a tube and an annular conic spring washer seat to receive said conic spring washer; and wherein   an end of a tube is inserted into said receiving means of said nut and respectively through said conical spring washer, said guiding sleeve means, and said fastening washer, said end of said tube received in said annular stepped tube seat,   said nut being tightened onto said threaded portion of said tube connector, thereby compressing said conic spring washer into said guiding flange and into engagement with said tube and said guiding sleeve means, and said fastening washer into said annular stepped washer seat in said tube connector,   said narrow end of said conic spring washer tightly gripping said tube so that said tube is firmly fixed in said tube connector.   
     
     
       2. The tube connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said first end of said fastening washer includes an outer sealing rim, an inner sealing rim, and an abutting rim between said outer and said inner sealing rims, said outer sealing rim and said abutting rim defining an annular groove so as to increase the compressibility of said fastening washer;   said fastening washer further including multiple annular ribs on an inner wall;   said narrow end of said conic spring washer presses against said guiding flange when said nut is tightened causing said fastening washer to be compressed so that said outer sealing rim of said fastening washer tightly abuts said annular washer seat of said tube connector such that said inner sealing rim is wedged between said end of said tube and said washer seat, thereby reducing any possibility of leakage in said tube connector.

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